Friday, 30 January 2015

Welcome to the art world of a painter who has developed a distinct, recognizable style, which is all her own.

Marissa Quirino Gonzáles, is a Filipina artist who resides in Switzerland. She began painting in 1994 after taking private painting lessons in Switzerland and France. She has been exhibiting her works for almost two decades now, in different parts of the world. She has uniquely developed her own style with the use of jusi (Philippine silk) as one of her canvasses for her artworks, in her creative expression of the places she has visited - of the scenes and images that have appealed to her in several European cities and Africa.

Jusi, a term that originated from the Chinese word for silk, was first fabricated during the Spanish period in Philippine history, from silk, banana and piña leaf fibers, used, mainly, for formal wear. In the 1960s, the production of this fabric was mechanized, producing a fabric with a silky shin and smooth surface.

As Marissa began to blend influences from her country of origin to the art influences she had imbibed from her European exposure, she has created exquisite works of art.

On Thursday, January 29, she opened her show at the ArtistSpace, at the Ayala Museum, Makati, Philippines. Entitled "Under the Mediterranean Skies," her solo exhibition will run from January 30 to February 11. Viewing her paintings is like a travelogue, making one dream of traveling to the faraway places that have been captured in her works.